Just who is this Amanda Palmer?

If you don’t know, then shame on you.

To be forthright, shame on me. I might not know of her if it wasn’t for Warren Ellis. He posted a picture of Amanda Palmer on his blog along with a link. I followed that link, discovered that she was a musician. I listened to a couple of her songs.

Entranced, I wanted to know of this melodic, wonderful creature.

Amanda Palmer is a 32 year old rocker. She’s in the band The Dresden Dolls (along with Brian Viglione). She just had her first album of solo material released (titled “Who Killed Amanda Palmer”). She’s best friends with Ben Folds and Neil Gaiman (and releasing a book with fandom’s favorite fantasist). She recently held a concert where the Boston Pops served as her backing band, and played at one of President Obama’s Inauguration Balls. Her blog is titled “Amanda ‘Fucking’ Palmer.”

Yeah, she’s a pretty cool lady.

I tracked down her publicist, requested an interview, and it happened. The interview. I knew that Apex author Sara M. Harvey is a big fan, so I asked Sara if she would do the interview. Sara knows a good time when offered, and she accepted. Unfortunately, due to Amanda’s overseas tour, we could never arrange a phone interview, but she did answer ten emailed questions. Over the course of the next ten days, we’ll run those questions.

Without a doubt, any discussion of Amanda Palmer starts with The Dresden Dolls. Presented for your pleasure is the song “Coin-Operated Boy” from The Dresden Doll’s debut studio album. Perhaps not the Dolls’ first single or hit, but it’s the one that hooked me into their brand of “Brechtian Punk Cabaret” music.

Watch more The Dresden Dolls videos on AOL Video

Interview Question 1:
Sara M. Harvey: Neil Gaiman contributed to your liner notes and created a collector’s book to accompany your first solo album (Who Killed Amanda Palmer; A Collection of Photographic Evidence With Stories by Neil Gaiman). How did you come to such a collaboration with him? Do you feel that there is quite a bit of crossover between your fans and his? Or are you hoping to create that connection?

Amanda Palmer: There’s a definitely cross-over but Neil has a lot more fans, so mine are more likely to be a subgroup of his.

It’s been wonderful to find fans of mine who didn’t know him and found him through me, and he’s certainly won me a whole new little audience. He’s such an incredibly generous person. The collaboration came about because Jason Webley introduced us, I sent Neil the record, Neil loved it and that was that. When I asked him to write theose stories, he said yes. I am a lucky girl.

Sara M. Harvey: The story Neil Gaiman created about the fictional Amanda Palmer was really gripping. How much input did you have on that piece?

Amanda Palmer: None. All Neil.

Used with permission.
Photo Copyright Kyle Cassidy.

Get The Dresden Doll’s self-titled first album.
Get interviewer Sara M. Harvey’s paranormal-steampunk short novel The Convent of the Pure.